PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

[rozk]

Tom Hunter has restricted attendance at the Arthur C. Clarke Awards to those who have already RSVPed. I forgot and have been relegated to a waiting list; as a former judge who only found this out because I had the temerity to ask for a plus one, I am a bit vexed at this.

I'm not sure I will go even if I get a place now.

Comments

[rozk.livejournal.com]

All fair points - up to a point.

I was aware of pushing it with the plus one, which is why I asked.

On the other hand, the policy has not been this strict in previous years at the Apollo and there have always been empty seats in the auditorium. Given the decision to tighten up - a defensible one - either there have been enough non-repliers that an announcement could have been made, or so few that people could have been checked in with.

I go to a lot of events, some of which are very strict about RSVP, yet those are precisely the ones which build slack into the system for the odd person who is busy or simply forgets, and contacts them late. They are also the ones aware of the need to be flexible in other ways - what happens if publishers or authors, who happen to be in town on the day, turn up and there is an incident with the SciFi London security?

I can certainly see Tom's POV but I am not sure that this has been thought through.

[gummitch.livejournal.com]

I think the policy was in place last year. I get an invitation as a former judge, was tardy with my RSVP and lost my place. I did get through the waiting list, but had by then made alternative arrangements for that evening.

I don't think the number of seats in the auditorium is the relevant factor; it's the space in the lobby.